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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. press — newspapers
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rock — music
  7. current — of water
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. current — happening now
  11. press — to push
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — to drill
  15. date — the fruit
  16. game — a match
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bore — to tire
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com